Egypt’s President Mubarak Refuses To Step Down

CAIRO (AP) – The Egyptian capital Cairo was the scene of violent chaos Friday, when tens of thousands of anti-government protesters stoned and confronted police, who fired back with rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons. It was a major escalation in what was already the biggest challenge to authoritarian President Hosni Mubarak’s 30 year-rule.

Internet and cell-phone services were disrupted across Egypt starting overnight and throughout the day as authorities used extreme measures to hamper protesters from organizing the mass rallies called after Friday prayers.

Police also fired water cannons at one of the country’s leading pro-democracy advocates, Mohamed ElBaradei, and his supporters as they joined the latest wave of protests after noon prayers. Police used batons to beat some of ElBaradei’s supporters, who surrounded him to protect him.

A soaking wet ElBaradei was trapped inside a mosque while hundreds of riot police laid siege to it, firing tear gas in the streets around so no one could leave. The tear gas canisters set several cars ablaze outside the mosque and several people fainted and suffered burns.

Large groups of protesters, in the thousands, were gathered at at least six venues in Cairo, a city of about 18 million people, and many of them were on the move marching toward major squares and across Nile bridges.

They are demanding Mubarak’s ouster and venting their rage at years of government neglect of rampant poverty, unemployment and rising food prices.

2 Responses

Several thousand people remain in Tahrir Square, many say they’re planning to spend the night and stay till Mubarak resigns. There was a huge cheer when we heard Mohamed ElBaradei was coming but unfortunately most of us couldn’t hear what he said – no loudspeakers, apparently. A crowd of about 800 and lots of journalists crowded around to hear him speak but everyone else just carried on chanting, “Mubarak you must leave.”

People were also very angry to hear that the Interior Ministry is ordering police back on to the streets – though the Army still has control in Tahrir Square. Yesterday they were calling for the minister’s resignation, so they’re very upset about that. It’s been much more organized today, people going around with loudhailers urging people not to leave.

The square has emptied out since the afternoon but it’s still a great atmosphere, a sense of solidarity, and very well-behaved  people are sitting around bonfires, or walking around picking up rubbish. Crowds who find occasional looters drag them over to the soldiers and hand them over. And no sexual harassment  which is not the norm downtown, especially when there are big groups gathering! We’re happy to be eating koshary  thank goodness vendors are still selling street food because we’re starving.

Power to the people, and needless to mention, many folks here in the US wish you all the best in forming a true democracy. Mmm. I remember eating pocket bread and fresh squeezed orange juice on the streets of Beirut in the 1960’s.

DISCLAIMER:
The Suzie-Q blog is owned, authorized, and operated by Suzie-Q. Comments or Guest articles posted by individuals on this blog are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Suzie-Q. Any endorsement of any comments or guest articles posted herein is neither implied nor suggested.
Differing opinions are welcome, personal attacks will not be tolerated and those engaging in personal attacks will be banned.
We will delete those comments that include the following actions:
• are abusive, off-topic, use excessive foul language
• contain racist, sexist, homophobic and other slurs
• are solicitations and/or advertising for personal blogs and websites
• are posted with the explicit intention of provoking other commenters on this blog.